The mortal cure
by T1gerCat
Summary: Carlisle gets hold of a mysterious compound that turns vampires back to humans. With two weeks until the wedding how is that compound changing the family dynamics? Is the wedding still on?
1. Chapter 1: The vote

Chapter 1: The argument

I was at the airport waiting for mom and Phil to arrive for my, cringe, wedding. It was in two weeks time and while mom was pissed that Alice orchestrated the whole thing I was glad she did. Mostly. I had no idea what she's planning actually. Knowing Alice I'm just happy she was kind enough, note the sarcasm, to plan seats for my family and friends and not only their vampire friends and the whole town. Some times I wonder if she realizes that this big thing is not my scene at all.

I remember the words of the man in the gas station where I stopped on my way here. I had stopped to fill in the thing that Edward bought me and two men wanted to take its picture.

_"". . . went at it with a flamethrower in the online video. Didn't even pucker the_

_paint."_

"_Of course not. You could roll a tank over this baby. Not much of a market for one over here. Designed for Middle East diplomats, arms dealers, and drug lords mostly."_

"_Think she's something?" _

_the short one asked in a softer voice. I ducked my head, cheeks flaming._

"_Huh," the tall one said. "Maybe. Can't imagine what you'd need missile-proof glass and four thousand pounds of body armor for around here. Must be headed somewhere more hazardous."_

_Body armor. Four thousand pounds of body armor. And missile-proof glass? Nice. What had happened to good old-fashioned bulletproof? Well, at least this made some sense—if you had a twisted sense of humor._

_It wasn't like I hadn't expected Edward to take advantage of our deal, to weight it on his side so that he could give so much more than he would receive. I'd agreed that he could replace my truck when it needed replacing, not expecting that moment to come quite so soon, of course. When I'd been forced to admit that the truck had become no more than a still-life tribute to classic Chevys on my curb, I knew his idea of a replacement was probably going to embarrass me. Make me the focus of stares and whispers. I'd been right about that part. But even in my darkest imaginings I had not foreseen that he would get me two cars._

_The "before" car and the "after" car, he'd explained when I'd flipped out. This was just the "before" car. He'd told me it was a loaner and promised that he was returning it after the wedding. It all had made absolutely no sense to me. Until now._

_Ha ha. Because I was so fragilely human, so accident-prone, so much a victim to my own dangerous bad luck, apparently I needed a tank-resistant car to keep me safe. Hilarious. I was sure he and his brothers had enjoyed the joke quite a bit behind my back._

_Or maybe, just maybe, a small voice whispered in my head, it's not a joke, silly. Maybe he's really that worried about you. This wouldn't be the first time he's gone a little overboard trying to protect you._

I sighed. Yeah right. Sometimes I felt as if I was the riot of this 'family'. The person to be shown that they really are human. I know it's wrong of me to think this way but I really can't help it sometimes. Thankfully the flight was not late al all and in record time I saw them and broke to a run. I jumped in Renee's arms letting her sooth me in a way she hadn't done since I was a little girl. I allowed Phil to drive the thing, as I had named it in my head, as both he and Renee had rolled their eyes when they saw it and Phil repeated the words from the man in gas station.

Barely two hours later Edward called me to say that the Cullen's wouldn't be meeting us to officially introduce the two families as something important had happened and they needed to discuss it. We'd meet tomorrow and he hung up before I could answer. We had decided we would spend the night together for the month before the wedding, or rather Edward decided.

Instead dad took us all to the lodge and we had dinner there under the watchful eye of everyone in Forks that knew who my mom was and the whole story that went down between my parents. AKA the whole town of Forks.

The next day I ignored the planned meeting at Port Angeles and I drove myself to the Cullen's place to see what kept them. The air was heavy when I got in and I felt as if I had stepped in a war zone.

The whole family was seated around the big table in the dining room. Esme had told me that the only reason this table even existed, besides its job as a prop, was for family decisions. I remembered clearly the last one, whether I would be turned in a vampire or not. This time an extra chair was set next to Edward and I took it.

"What's wrong?"

I asked no one in particular and got no answer. Carlisle took a breath and informed me that he was in Los Angeles the previous days to meet an old friend that had asked him to get a sample of a compound. It was supposed to be a cure for vampirism. He knew that it worked on their kind of vampire; apparently there are more than one kind. Anyway this vampire called in a favor of Carlisle and wanted him to run an experiment on a cold one and see how well it worked. So here they were. They didn't want it to go public and from what I heard and experienced of the Volturi I could understand it.

They were holding a family meeting to see if any of them wanted to take it and Carlisle would monitor the subjects to see how it worked. He was thinking that he needed at least two volunteers. One man and one woman.

Surprisingly no hands were raised. I was a little surprised by that. From what I knew of them they should be fighting each other to be picked.

Rosalie had said she would give up everything to be a mother and have children as the choice on her becoming a vampire had been taken away from her.

Edward had claimed that if he could be human for me he would do it, not to mention he'd do anything to keep me human.

Alice didn't know her life as a human besides what she had found out last year and didn't know what she was missing. Not to mention that Alice wasn't Alice without her gift and I don't know how well that would work. Now that I think about it the same goes for Edward...

Emmett had no problem either way although I know for a fact that Emmett loves being the strongest vampire and I couldn't really see him as a human.

Esme had no ties to her human life and didn't want to become human again.

Carlisle was the same not to mention that had found inner peace and he would be the researcher,

Last but not least Jasper. He felt guilty for taking so many human lives and was actually the only one that had no problem doing it. I admired him for that and promised to myself that I would hurry to make friends with him as soon as he did it, if he did. Of course if the low voiced argument his decision caused with Alice was any indicator I would probably be locked in a high tower by Edward by then.

When I dared to voice my questions, who gave this cure to Carlisle, what other kind of vampire he was, when they'd do it, and why Rosalie and Edward refused to when they had a lot of reasons to go through with it everyone jumped up as if they hadn't even noticed I was there.

Carlisle opened his mouth to answer my first two questions but Edward interrupted him.

"Bella this doesn't concern you, it's a family issue. Shouldn't you be home?"

I saw red and I could see the shock on all faces besides Rosalie and Alice's. I took a calming breath and glared at jasper when I felt a wave of artificial calmness crush onto me and he got the point and stopped.

"Doesn't concern me? We're engaged Edward what you do concerns me. How is it any different than me becoming a vampire?"

"Bella"

"Shut up Edward. What you do concerns me, unless you want to deal with the Volturi, my parents and the whole town when there is no bride next to you next Sunday yourself"

With that I got up and left driving straight home and my parents' arms. Sometimes a girl wants her parents to console her and tell her everything is going to be ok, even if it's a lie.


	2. Chapter 2: The end?

Chapter 2: The end

I was crying in Renee's arms as I was trying to figure out what the hell just happened. Just yesterday my mom and Phil came here to spend the last two weeks until my wedding day, cue cringe, with me, then Edward called off the meet and greet as I had named it, of the two families and now I'm not a part of their family? I don't get a say on whether he'd use a compound to see if it made him human? Was he serious? Well, I know he was, he's such an idiot that he likes to plan everything himself. Ok I get it it's his life and choice but how is that any different than me wanting to be a vampire?

An evil voice in my head said that it was because if I changed I'd be with him when if he changed he could be with me. I shook my head; I don't make any sense anymore. I snuck a look at Renee that was holding me with a worried expression on her face, what do I tell her now?

I moved back a little.

"Bella, what happened baby?"

"I went over to see Edward."

"And? Why are you crying now?"

Deep breath

"Edward decided to take time off before college and didn't want my opinion, he told me it was a family matter," I spat the word family, "and so it doesn't concern me"

Mom was silent, yes I know my excuse is less than brilliant but it made the point.

"What happens now?"

She asked me carefully. I could see in her eyes that she'd be with me with everything I said and I froze when I realized it was extremely easy to tell what was on my tongue. I want to call off the wedding.

"I don't know, he'll cool off and we'll discuss it again later."

Renee said nothing and we sat to watch stupid daytime tv together.

Renee POV

When we arrived yesterday I could see that Bella was distraught but happy to see us. Frankly I was more worried on how Charlie would take seeing Phil. In the end I shouldn't have worried, Charlie took it rather well and he and Phil struck a strange baseball themed friendship. Men!

I know I am flighty but I love my daughter and the look on her face made me ready to attack anyone that wanted to harm her. I'm sure Edward had something to do with it. My suspicions proved correct when we got outside to see a sleek black car. I know nothing about cars but Phil does, he's a man after all. When he described the car as missile proof I wanted to laugh and scream at the same time. It was funny because Bella has a tendency to harm herself but it was also annoying because it showed that he saw it as a problem that had to be fixed.

When I first met him last year when Bella got in the hospital I was angry. At both of them. I see why Bella wanted to run after they fought, she's my daughter after all but the fact she went to meet him at a hotel and fell down two stories and a window? Yeah, I don't think so, I know my daughter. She was happy to see him when she woke up but there was something in her eyes I couldn't explain, it was fear mixed with relief. I wanted to ask her about it but Edward was hovering around her a lot and somehow I didn't feel safe enough to ask her.

Then she couldn't visit in the summer because of that broken leg. I let it go but didn't like it one bit. Then on her birthday he left her and she was lifeless. I remember Charlie's panicked voice telling me that our baby was missing. I was about to grab the first flight back and find her myself but Charlie called again saying they found her. I went to see them; I didn't want to believe that our baby was a mess. She was. She was broken, sad and dead in a living body.

When they came in Florida to visit with no real notice I saw how protective of her Edward was and how in tune they were. That was cute and all but it was really alarming as well.

Then a completely shotgun wedding. I don't know what is going on but I have a feeling that this wedding is a ruse for something else and I'm going to figure out what.

Bella POV

Alice came over that afternoon trying to make amends. Actually she came to make me try on the wedding dress and measure Charlie for his tux, but that's how Alice makes amends.

Charlie's tux was in a pale grey color that suited him and I have to admit he looked good, very good actually. I refused to even look my dress. I don't know what is happening with me, all I wanted to do was tell everyone to leave me alone. While Alice was fixing the last details of the dress I asked her about the voting of that morning.

She took Edward's side, big surprise there.

She agreed that what ever Edward did had no impact on me so I should leave him alone. In fact only Jasper wanted to try this compound and he would even though Alice didn't agree with him. She didn't like that. They were fighting. Apparently she couldn't see what would happen after he took it.

Renee was next after I was done and she got her dress ready as well. And then the unthinkable happened. I knew that Renee wanted to confront Alice. About the wedding plans, the wedding dress, the actual ceremony, the guests. I guess it's time to say that Renée doesn't like Alice, the little she knows of her anyway. Maybe she's just pissed off that she didn't get to plan my wedding herself or something or maybe she's just pms-ing. Thankfully she didn't. I really wanted my family to like Edward's although it wasn't as if they'd meet again. Hopefully I'd be dead soon. OK that didn't come out right, I mean I'd be a vampire soon and unfortunately that means I'm gonna have to cut off all contact with my parents.

I'm probably getting cold feet about the wedding and the change. I can't talk to mom about it though, I know she loves me and means well but if I tell her I have second thoughts she'll probably grab me and run as fast as when I was a baby and we moved away, I thought with a smile.

Alice left without much fanfare for once and we made plans to meet the same evening for dinner at La Bella Italia, where Edward and I had our first dinner date if you want to call it that.

The previous day mom and I had gone shopping to find me the perfect dress for the meet and greet although it didn't happen. I had missed Renee and shopping was a good time for us to reconnect. We have the same taste so it was fun. We had picked a white sundress with small red buttons on the front and red lace on the bottom. I paired it with a thin vintage red belt low on my hips, red tear drop earrings, a red bracelet and high heeled red peep toe sandals. And my engagement ring of course. I liked it. I looked like the Phoenix Bella again.

After that we drove to Port Angeles. I took my car with Renee and Phil and Charlie drove his cruiser as he was on call tonight.

Dinner was strange. You could see and feel the end that was nearing on us. Of course with 7 vampires and 4 humans what could you expect? The seating did not help anything as well. There were 11 of us so we had asked to put together three tables. Charlie sat in the end of the table, Renee next to him with Phil on her other side. I sat at the end of the other table in the corner to Charlie with Edward rigid and frozen on my side with Alice on his other side. Jasper was next to Alice on the other side with Emmett and Rosalie and the Cullen parents on the fourth side alongside my parents.

We all ordered and the Cullens pretended that they ate while the rest of us really ate. Edward was not even touching his plate, nor was he looking at anyone but his plate. The air was heavy and you could feel that it was the calm before the storm; I only hoped the storm would occur after dinner was finished and we were out of the restaurant.

During dinner Carlisle made an effort and started a small talk about baseball with Phil with Charlie making comments every now and then. Renee and I stuck another small talk about a shopping spree we would have the next day to bring my closet back to Phoenix Bella (Renee and I both agreed that Alice had too much to say in my clothing choices) and the rest of the Cullens stayed quiet. Jasper kept sending waves of calm around the table and I would give him small grateful smiles every now and then. However the lack of eating skill soon got noticed and Renee asked why they didn't eat but only moved their food to the hand towels on their laps.

After a moment or two of deadly silence Esme tried to brush mom off but she wasn't having any of it. Soon the men noticed the topic of discussion and all joined in.

Carlisle must have said something to his family because suddenly everyone but Rosalie and Edward made a show of eating a few bites each with their disgust showing on their faces and I had to stifle my laughter at their expressions. Mom looked at me and winked quickly while I got in a quiet, hopefully, discussion with Edward about his behavior. As expected he brushed me off. Once again he had become the cold stone wall I once knew in biology last year and I was slowly reaching the end of my rope.

By the time dessert arrived so had everyone else. In a flash different arguments rose. Esme and Carlisle were trying, in vain if I might add, to explain to my mother and father why they didn't eat. Alice and Edward against Rosalie on why they had to endure this dinner party. Only Emmett's and Phil's argument was funny, who is the best player in Phil's team. Last me and Jasper were both silent watching everyone around us.

With an 'enough is enough' thought I turned to Alice, Rosalie and Edward and said

"You have to endure this dinner party because my family is here and I want them to know yours. Is it too much to ask?"

But Alice replied

"Your parents would never see you again anyway after the wedding so this farce had to reason to happen Bella"

Then Edward added his two pieces

"It's not necessary to change Bella, we can hide you"

"I don't want to wait for the Volturi to visit us here and in any case I want to be changed Edward. We've had the same discussion a million times already."

"No Edward, she does have to do this since she has put our family in this strain."

Came Rosalie's louder reply. The same Rosalie that two months ago voted no to me changing. Unfortunately none of us realized that Renée could hear us so she ended all arguments with only one sentence.

"Since she has put your family in such a big strain then you don't mind if she takes herself out of the equation, do you? This wedding is off!"

Charlie nodded and Phil whispered something to Carlisle and pulled me outside. I was in a daze as mom led me to the cruiser where she sat with me in the backseat while Charlie drove and Phil sat shotgun. I only had one thought

'What did just happen? Is the wedding off, what about the Volturi?'

All in all I noticed that none of the Cullens were after us and I felt strangely relieved. Maybe I'm not as ready as I thought to end it all and lose my family.


End file.
